Blog posts October 2009

Halloween... Generic Post

Happy Halloween!

We won't be trick or treating! :(  We were debating whether or not to hand out candies because the news (ha, media...) Told me not to! haha

Anyway, we took advantage of Thrifty's Food delivery service so that we wouldn't but the community at risk for infection. We were looking at Quality Foods, but I read that they don't deliver on weekends. Thrifty's to the rescue once again :P The delivery guy was super, super nice -- asked him just to drop the stuff off outside and we would grab it ourselves. He made a few jokes and all was good.

I'm so sick of being house-bound, I finally emptied out our old fridge (got a new old one from my mom when she moved), unplugged it, then took downthe cupboard above it (it was atiny fridge, we need the space for our new fridge to fit in). I gave the floor a quick towel-down, now I'm waiting for it to dry. I'll give it a quick sweep, then a good mopping, let it dry, then put the new fridge in place!

I also went on a bit of an energy bender in the bathroom and scrubbed the soap scum off of our double-sized soaker tub. Having a tub that big is more of a pain than it is a luxury... Especially with the jets that can get gross *shudder*  I've decided that Tuesdays are Tub days -- weekly tub scrubbing shall ensue.

I remember Saturdays were going to be something else, but I forget now... Saturday... Saturday... Oh nuts. I hate forgeting things. Especially when I remember that it was awesome haha

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Running in Skirts

(This is not a sponsored post)

When I find a product I love, I tend to spread the word a lot. Good word of mouth is the best mode of advertisement, afterall! Last year, I found Running Skirts through a message forum discussion on Runner's World. I ordered a running skirt and quickly returned to order another.

I love running in a skirt, because there are no shorts riding up your bum as you take steps, no excessive drag of the fabric against your skin, and it in my mind, I feel better wearing it. It's rare around here to see a running skirt, but I don't mind being the odd ball... I was that kid who played with barbies until she was 13 and didn't really care what others said about it ;)

Anyway, "Running Skirts.com" is a site run by two moms -- twins. Both of whom have an incredible passion for running. They are currently having a sale of 50% off selected apparel. I highly recommend getting your butt over there to take advantage of this! I'm in the last month of being a student, so I won't be taking advantage of this deal *whimper*

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H1N1 Virus and Me

If you think you are sick, STAY HOME.

So the other week, my boyfriend's coworker was diagnosed with h1n1 (confirmed case). Friday, my daughter gets a cough and a very sudden fever, stuffy nose, sneezing, lethargic, etc. Two days after that, my boyfriend gets a very sudden cough and fever onset as well. He ended up calling 811 - the magical hotline we have here in BC which is manned by nurses -- at 3:00 AM while I was sleeping :P  He waited on the line for one hour before being able to get through. The nurse on the line said that he was one of the first person to call in with a probable cause of concern and said that it was almost definitely the h1n1 virus.

Sudden cough and sudden onset of fever is how the h1n1 usually begins. Other symptoms include fatigue, muscle ache, sore throat, headache, decreased eppetite, and a runny nose. Only sometimes will someone with the h1n1 virus get nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.

If you have h1n1, some things to watch out for include shortness of breath, chest pain, bluish or grey skin colour, bloody (or other coloured) mucus, sudden diziness or confusion, severe vomiting, high fever that lasts more than 3 days, low blood pressure, and relapsing symptoms after a day or so of being symptom-free.

People at risk of developing complications include children under 5, pregnant women, sufferers of heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, asthma or other chronic lung diseases, liver disease, blood disorders, severe obesity, immunosuppressed persons, and those with neurological disorders.

This virus is a little more harsh than the normal flu since a seemingly healthy person can go from mild symptoms to quite severe symptoms in a matter of hours or days. It is also more harsh because it is spread through the air as respiratory precautions (simple breathing can spread it) rather than droplet (sneezing, coughing, etc.) like the normal flu(s). Of course, it still has the same rules -- wash your hands, cough and sneeze into your sleeve, stay home if you are sick, stay home if you are sick, and... Stay home if you are sick!  Stay home until you have been symptom-free for 48 hours.

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My Sister's Keeper

I finally finished the book "My Sister's Keeper."

I'm pretty sad that it's over! It was a very good read. I found it a little strange at first. The writing style took a while for me to get used to, but it was a very emjoyable style once I got used to it.

The ending shocked the heck out of me and I was a little upset that I was at work and not at home when I finished it. I wanted to bawl my eyes out! haha  I recommend this book to other moms and dads. I'm not sure if it would have the same effect on me if I weren't a parent. To be honest, I never imagined love so strong until I had my daughter.

There are a few other books out there by the same author, so there's a good chance I will be picking those books up! Right after I finish the Twilight series... My mom and sister suggest that I read them :P

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Last Night Shift

I am about to do my very last night shift. I am so burned out already, but it'll be worth it in the end. This is an extra shift I have picked up because of the one I missed on Thursday for my grandfather's wake. I don't mind nightshifts, really. They are pretty boring, but I at least get to see my daughter a bunch when I'm at home. On the evening shifts, she's always asleep when I'm home and it makes me miss her like crazy!

Tuesday is my only day off, then I am off to work 6 evening shifts in a row. If this doens't kill me, what will?

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Night Shifts

I did my first night shift yesterday on the Rehab unit. It wasn't too bad. I was pretty tired at the end and had a rough time driving home, but it was manageable.

We did hourly rounds, updated the MARs, stocked carts, and did patient care as needed. I ended up doing my first solo catheterization, which went pretty smoothly.

Catheterizations are such a simple skill, but there is a lot of technique behind it - mostly with regards to maintaining sterility. There's also some dexterity required, since once your positional/stabilizing hand touches the patient, it can no longer be used. It's game over. you're left with your other hand to insert the catheter (without touching anything outside of the field, which includes the patient) and inflate the balloon if there is one.

I'm off for another night shift!

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Tendinitis is Underrated

Tendinitis is severely underrated. It hurts a lot! I currently have it in my right rotator cuff as well as my righ elbow area. It makes it hard to lift things, or even take a sweater off. It hurts when I lay down in bed at night. Strange stuff! I just ty not to use it as much as posible and it usually resolves itself within a few weeks.

So I have been using the BeautiControl Skinlogics Clear line of skin care for 2.5 weeks now. While my skin isn't clear yet, I've had barely any nodular breakouts -- two. Usually it's one new one per day. Definitely an improvement! I have also been divulging in microderm abrasion (also from BeautiControl) once per week. I look forward to Thursdays knowing that it's a microderm abrasion night, haha

I have been trying out new products here and there. So far, my favorites are the Skinlogics skin care line, the Sugar Cookie (limited availability: just for the holidays!!) collection which includes body wash, butter, instand manicure hand scrub, lip scrub, lip conditioner, and extreme repair hand moisturizer; I also have fallen in love with most of their make-up products. I especially love their shadow control cream (in toupe) and Spectaculash mascara. Lip Apeel is of course a favorite of mine, as is the Spa Detox collection :P 

Heck, I just love everything they make. They really do make amazing products.

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Feeling Better

Felt good to rant, I won't lie!

I'm going to go to the funeral on Thursday and worry about my practicum hour issues later. I doubt any school would let me fail because of a death in the family.

I've only lost two people in my life. The first person I lost was my Grandma. She and I weren't buddy/buddy close, but she, my mom, my sister, and I often went out for lunch together. I'd see her two-three times each week. Christmas, birthdays, Halloween, etc. all involved Grandma. Losing her was losing the back bone of my extended family. It was losing Christmas - losing birthdays, losing all special events. Losing her was the hardest thing I have ever gone through. She passed on October 14, 2007.

The other person, obviously, is my Grandpa -- other side of the family. I only saw him a few times each year growing up because he lives on Salt Spring Island. His health was constantly going downhill, but losing him was still a shock. He passed away October 15, 2009.

I will be hiding under a table on October 16th, 2011.

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I Hate Ranting

I really do hate ranting, but sometimes you just have to let the steam shoot out of both ears.

My preceptor is amazing. My instructors are amazing. I am not mad at them. I am frustrated with the situation that I am in, though. Since my original preceptor's schedule started four days later than usual, I missed out on quite a few potential shifts. Then it turns out that she wasn't actually available, so I only got three shifts the first week. Then my next preceptor, whom we snagged the evening before the very first day I started with her is on 8 hour shifts. I need about 180 hours to finish my credentials for licensing.

I forgot to get mad about how I have to rearrange my daycare completely for this as well... Anyway...

That said, I have four days off in the next three weeks because the schedule is so crammed, which I wouldn't have minded, but! This means that I have ZERO room for not making it to preceptorship. So why is this an issue? Two things:

My daughter is three. This is the first Halloween that she has ever been excited about it and it absolutely kills me that I am working Halloween evening. I have to miss what I consider to be a pretty important parenting moment. Sure, there will be other years, but this is the first year that she's actually excited about it. One of few years where she will be at home and not out with friends for it. Not to mention, I had been planning to do her costume/make-up for her. Now I can't. Kills me a little each time I think about it.

October 15th, 2009. My grandpa died. I was in the middle of a shift and had to leave for home after finding out this news. I already have to make up for that time I took off that day. His memorial service is to be held on Thursday -- in the middle of another shift. I am absolutely torn between not knowing if I can even afford the time off from SCHOOL. It's SCHOOL for cripe's sake! Or going to the memorial service. How on earth is school in a position to put me in any situation as remotely ridiculous as this?

Family funeral/death in the family versus not making enough preceptorship hours to obtain licensure. This is just absurd.

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Beat Cancer! Come On!

Come on, everyone! If you have twitter, facebook, or a blog, now is the time to #beatcancer! Do this simply by tweeting and updating your facebook status to include #beatcancer, and invite your friends to do the same. Curious about what the heck this is? Beat Cancer Everywhere is a website with sponsers such as Ebay, Paypal, and Miller light (hehe) who are willing to donate one cent for each reference to #beatcancer made on twitter and facebook! 

What are you waiting for? Retweet nursejoc!

 

 

I'm helping to raise funds to
#beatcancer, by blogging, tweeting
and posting Facebook status
updates.

Click here to join me!

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Climate Change... Blog Action Day

Edit: I got the dates wrong and originally had this posted on the first, haha... Deleted that entry and replaced it with this one for the fifteenth:

I'm supposed to blog about climate change for today, since it is the Blog Action Day's topic. I'll be honest and say I don't spend a lot of time worrying myself about climat change. I do realize the incredible risk that it has on Earth, but all I can really do is try to do my part to prevent further damage. Carpooling whenever possible, keeping the trees on my property nice and healthy... Planting more whenever I can. Turning off lights as I leave the room. Common sense things that just aren't common enough.

Do you conserve energy whenever possible? How about water? Do you take long showers? More than one shower per day? Do you take baths nearly filled to the top? Do you overstuff your fridge and frezer? Idle your car for longer than a minute when you run inside? All of these things contribute to excess gases that just aren't needed. These gases are theorized to contribute to the global climate change.

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New Preceptor!

Very, very last minute and with little-to-no warning, an LPN on Rehab agreed to take me on for my preceptorship. Wahoo! My instructor and I were getting quite desperate about finding one.

I had the first shift yesterday. It was a very relaxed environment, but it was also quite slow. Tonight, I'll be bringing some nursing books to keep me occupied for the shift in between doing our tasks.

I'm pretty darn upset, though. The schedule that I have is rock solid -- I need every hour that I have been given, but those hours include Halloween evening/night. I'm really torn about this. I've been getting my daughter all amped up for Halloween since I was getting the night off on my previous schedule. This is the first year that she's actually excited about Halloween and I missed Halloween last year because of a wind storm: she was visiting her grandma in a town an hour away across a long strip of highway known for its absolutely brutal driving conditions in wind storms. Just ask my mom - she flipped an SUV on that same highway during a wind storm.

She's going to be a raccoon, dang it! A part of me will wither away if I miss this Halloween. This is school, not a job.

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Kiddy Boots... Wow!

My daughter decided to go through a growth spurt, so we headed down to the mall to grab her some new jeans, some shirts, socks, undies, and winter boots. The jeans were 2 for $30... Not too bad, considering that their adjustable waist and their length being about 4 inches too long means that she will be wearing them for at least a year.

We went in to Payless Shoes Store... I love that store, I really do. It's not them I'm frustrated with, it's the people that made the boots I fell in love with! My daughter had snatched up a pair of Disney Princess ugg-style boots which had a picture of a crown on it and had flashing lights above the crown. She absolutely loved them. I was super thrilled ot have instantly found a pair of boots for her... Then I pulled out the price tag: $44.99  Holy cripes! I paid $25 for my Airwalk ugg rip-offs last winter. How could her boots be that much more expensive? Not a chance in heck was this starving student going to fork out that much, though I really wanted to buy them for my daughter. They were so cute!

As it turned out, those were the cheapest boots in the store, so we ended up not buying her any boots, but we did take advantage of the buy one, get one half-off event and got her some normal shoes to truck around in... Only because her Dora shoes (hand-me-downs from her now 8-year-old aunt) had broken while in that store. Talk about good luck... Maybe bad luck? haha

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Quick Post: Heparin

A quick post to ask a question to those of you whom are familiar with injections. In school, we were taught to use an air lock with subcutaneous injections of heparin (and any other anticoagulation that might be gven s/c). I forget if the dalteparin shots I gave included an airlock in it alreadyor not... Can't find any literature saying if it has one or not. Edit: Looked today before I gave a couple of dalteparins and they did, indeed, have airlocks in them. Guess that answers my question!

Anyway... The person I was "preceptoring" with the other night got very weirded out when I asked her if she used an airlock with her heparins. I then asked her if she'd be okay with me using one since that is what I was taught to do (to prevent bruising) and she said no. Fair enough, it's her lisence I'm working under so I did what she was comfortable with.

So, the question is Do you use an airlock in heparin or other anticoagulation injections that are s/c?

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No Preceptor!

I managed to work 3 12 hour shifts this week... The last one was a night shift. I decided with my teacher to not return for tonight's 12 hour shift because it wasn't realy being beneficial to me. My preceptor, whom I've never met, will not be returning for another few weeks :( Poor girl!

My instructor is working hard to find me a last minute preceptor in the hospital, but I will be okay with a long term care facility... Just so long as I get my experience in, I'll be a happy camper.

Quick note to self: no matter how tired you are... Pack a good lunch. Avoid packing "quick," processed foods. If makes you feel really bad! haha  I feel pretty nauseous coming off that night shift. There was a pot luck  among the staff - lots of junk food was splayed out in the office. I tried to avoid it... Oh, how I tried to avoid it. Pies, chocolate triffles, sherry triffles... Oh, the temptations.

Oh how sick I feel now.

Half-way through my last day shift, I think they switched the soap in the dispenser (which was empty half-way through the shift, i should note). My hands were red and burning with each handwash for the last 1.5 shifts. Kind of sucked, not going to lie! No matter... I fixed it with my Sugar Cookie Show of Hands Instant Manicure from BeautiControl. I swear I'm not trying to toot their own, but I am in love with each of their products. Followed up the instant manicure with the Regeneration Extreme Hand Repair cream. So smooth :D

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12 Hours is Kinda Hard

I worked my first 12 hour shift -- ever! It wasn't too bad. My feet certainly hurt right now, but it was still good. I didn't have an actual preceptor with me since mine is off on worker's compensation for a work-injury, though she should be back within 3-4 days... Hopefully.

I was paired up with an LPN who was a casual to that floor. She was pretty darn good. I hadn't yet seen a working nurse with such good asepsis practice, thurough assessments, and good patient-centered care. She did things, small things that nurses tend to cut corners on, such as putting on slippers before a person's foot hits the ground... Did you know that the hospital floor is considered the dirtiest place in the whole building? Before, I never cringed at seeing people running around barefoot or in socks, but now I certainly do. There has been blood, urine, feces, probably even pus or other drainage on the floor. Sure, they disinfect it, but by no means are the poo molecules fully picked up in the disinfection process.

Congratulations on the disinfected poop on your socks :D

I was at least given the opportunity to give some medications, which included a subcutaneous injection (yay). The nurse also let me "take the team" which was only 4 very stable patients. In the end, I'm pretty sure she did more work even though I "had the team (of patients)." There are some things that she thought to do long before it ever began to cross into my mind. I'm hoping I'll be able to do that with experience and I'm sure it will come.

Vaguest post ever. That's what happens after 12 hours -- what can I say? ha

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Starting Preceptorship

I sit here, writing this in bed as I try to fall asleep early in order to get enough sleep to keep me energized for my first 12 hour shift tomorrow. I wonder how this will work out! I will not see my daughter much at all tomorrow since I will be gone before she gets out of bed and by the time I get back home, it will be past her bedtime. On the lighter side, we have agreed to extend her bedtime by an hour so that I can tuck her in and read her a bedtime story like I normally do. Yay! I enjoy story time the most <3

I got my Skinlogics Clear set today and used it for the first time tonight... I was pretty darn excited to try it and I definitely wasn't let down! My skin feels just ridiculously soft and clean right now. I can't wait to see how well it works against the gnarly acne I have right now.

Being an adult with acne sucks. I mentioned it before, but I have adult onset nodular acne. This means that my blemishes are underneath the surface of my skin. You won't see any 'white' tips -- these breakouts are not at the surface and it's rare that they actually push through the surface enough to be seen. It's a little embarassing, but I try to not think about it.

I have a doctor's appointment in two weeks so we shall see how this BeautiControl product works from now until then! If all goes well, then I can cancel the appointment ;)

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IUDs and Things of Such

I'll be blunt. I have no qualms talking about personal things like this. I like sharing my own experiences because there's always that off chance that someone can benefit from it.

I went to the Ocean View Women's Clinic for a consult of an IUD. I've been debating an IUD a lot as a method of birth control. The pill gives me a headache, nausea, and severe mood swings: I dip into depression for a week each month on average. Severe depression that keeps me bound in bed until I absolutely cannot stay in bed any longer.

The consult consisted of a discussion about the IUDs. Pros and cons of both types that are offered in Canada -- the hormonal one and the copper one. It also involved a manditory test for certain STDs, even though I've been in a monogamous relationshp for four years. This is an understandable prerequirement, so don't get put off if your doctor starts off off by saying you need an STD check, haha!  After that, there was a fiar amount of crampy feeling as they measure the depth of the uterus. I know. It's about as wonderful as it sounds.

I was given an "Either/or" prescription for both IUDs so that I can think about it before deciding on which type I would for sure like.

The staff at this clinic are AWESOME. Very friendly and informative!

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What a Weekend - Run for the Cure, etc.

Saturday was our graduation ceremony. It was good! Short and sweet. It was a little harsh to see that the other intake groups had lost at least half of their group. My sister likes to blame it on our intake's teachers being easier. I prefer to think it's because of how close knit our class became. We all know eachother pretty well... We know the hardships we've all endured during this demanding 12 month program. We have all shared a good cry together during stressful exams, failed exams, relieving tears of barely passed exams, assessments, and so forth. It's been quite the ride.

My intake still has one more month left and our lisencing exam isn't until January. Boo! Oh well. Congratulations, classmates!

Sunday was the Run for the cure. I hadn't really practiced for it. I hadn't trained at all, acually. Prior to the run, my longest run ever was 1 km (without a walking break). Pretty weak! I went into yesterday's run knowing I was running for my grandma and her best friend... My grandma passed away what will be 2 years ago on the 14th, and her best friend was diagnosed with breastcancer shortly after that. My grandma did not die of breast cancer. No. She was a survivor. She was a survivor because of cancer research supported by wonderful people who volunteer for fundraisers, the people whom organize the events, the people who volunteer to set up the tents, the people who volunteer to cheer on the runners during these events, and lastly, the people who gather donations.

I want to say THANK YOU! Thank you to all volunteers and runners who participated in the Run for the Cure yesterday. Thank you for giving me my grandma back. Even though she's no longer here, it is because of your hard efforts that I had her with me for more than a decade longer.

I ran the full 5 km. Not once did I stop and not once did I walk. I felt like I was going to throw up for the last kilometer. I felt like my legs were going to give out near the home stretch. I couldn't even feel the muscles in my legs working, I was just trusting that they were doing what I told them to do. I told myself I would run the 5 km for my grandma, and I did.

I choked back my sobs as I passed people on the trail during the last kilometer, because I could not believe it. I was doing it. Shortly after crossing the finish line, I cried. Cried for my grandma, cried from the overwhelming runner's high, cried out of being proud of myself, and I cried for everyone else that shared their stories of how breast cancer affected their lives.

I can barely walk today :)

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101 Things to Do... How Are We Doing?

I still only have half of my list written out, so maybe I'll work some more on that today. So far, I've only had progress on the following:

3. Knit my first pair of socks.  (One sock close to completion)
4.
Have my business make more than 4 sales per month on average. (1/4)

7.
Run a 5 Km race. (5 k race this Sunday!)

18.
Become a representative of a home-party company. (Wow... I forget ever writing this one down, but I joined BeautiControl last week)

34. Read at least 15 books...  ( still working on the first one, but it's in progress anyway: 0/15)

53. This should be done naturally, but draw with my daughter for 300 days in 12 months (1/300)

 

It was pretty interesting to see that the month I started the 101 things to do in 1001 days, and the month I created the goal board and started putting my energy into it, I got my first business sale (not BeautiControl) since January. I didn't change a darn thing about what I was doing, not did I even touch my business, the sale came to me. Isn't that something? Awesome :)

I really ought to get working on that website, though. Get some more sales coming in. Use that paired with BeautiControl to get some income coming in so I can worry about more important things, like my amazing daughter.

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